An ostomy placement is a surgical procedure that creates an opening in the body. For example, gastrostomy, jejunostomy, colostomy, and ileostomy are procedures that create openings that can be used for the placement of feeding or drainage tubes. Feeding tubes are often used for patients that have impaired swallowing ability. Drainage tubes are used for removing materials, such as bodily waste, from inside the body of the patient.
The percutaneous placement of a tube through the abdominal wall of the patient, such as in a gastrostomy procedure, can be performed to treat temporary and/or permanent conditions, such as chronic disabilities. With reference to gastrostomy and gastrojejunostomy procedures as a particular example, catheters for use in these procedures are inserted directly through the abdominal wall of the patient and into the stomach. Gastrostomy catheters can then be used for feeding the patient directly into the stomach, wherein nourishing substances are inserted into an external opening in the catheter and are transported by the catheter to the interior of the patient's stomach. With the gastrojejunostomy catheter, the distal portion of the catheter inside the patient is long enough to be positioned in the jejunum, such that feeding can bypass the stomach entirely.
Because these catheters are left in place for extended periods of time, and because they extend externally from the patient, there is a need for some retention means for preventing the catheter from being accidentally removed from the patient. Additionally, since these catheters are often intentionally removed for the clearing of blockages from the within the tube and/or to allow the patient to have a more active lifestyle and improved comfort, there is a need for means to allow the removal and insertion of the catheter without having to regain access to the internal organ. Thus, there is a need for improvement in this field.